The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-11-04
OMAHA LETTER. :

A crisp air, sunny sky and a fresh
breeze gladdened the hearts of the citiz-
ems of Omaha, and the thousands of
people who came from various parts of
the state and western Iowa on the
morniug of the Presidential visit, The
streets were active at an early hour.
Banners, flags, notices, portraits and
bunting without limit gave the city a
gala-day air, and brass bands enliyened
the scene Oh almost every street corner.
A delegation from the reception COM
mittee met the President at Council
Bluffs and escorted him to the city. 1t
had been designed that he should iaaug-
urate' the opening of the new carriage
track addition to the Union Pacific
bridge just completed, but as his, time
was limited, and it would involves slow
drive of three miles, the project was
abandoned. Thousands of people
thronged the Union Pacific depot On the
arrival of the train, but the. police ar
rangements were perfect, and no, dis
order was manifest. AS only seventy
minutes were allowed for the program
to be carried out, no time was lost, and
the President and Mrs. Cleveland, were
quickly escorted to their carriage, and
the long procession, preceded by a body
of mounted police and the proper
marshals and aids, started forthwith.
A large body of Knights of Pythias,
consisting of several thousands, who
were holding their convention here, APP
peared in the line on the streets, dressed
in full uniform, and also a large detach-
ment of regulars from Fort Omaha,
three miles north of the city. The
Presidents carriage was drawn BY four
jet black horses, and literally covered
with a magnificent floral display. The
ha. ness was bedecked with ribbons and
the national colors. The whole afair
was but repetition of the pageantry
and display witnessed in other cities.
Returning to the depot, the Presidens
and wife were greeted by dense throng,
and it is doubtful if the whole tribe Of
Omahas, the aborigines of the soil, ever
rent the air with a more ear-piercing
war-whoop than the shout which went
up from the thousands of voices as the
Presidential train pulled out for Kansas
City, forty minutes behind the program
time. The crowd then quietly dispersed
and returned home to u late dinner.
Sic transit gloria. .3'i
Were it not a we'll known fact that
the President was not only invited, but
strongly urged, without distinction of
political perties, to make this tour.
through the country, which may be
termed a triumphal tour, as the crown
ed heads of Europe seldom receive more
or make a greater display, it
might seem like vanity and egotisrn,
and be attributed to electioneering mo-
tives. Howmuchsoeyer politicians had
that design in view, the President cannot
be charged with it. The demonstrations
were an outpouring of the loyalty Of the
people to their chief magistrate, who lis
to be the President of the
whole people, rather than of political
party.
It was, no doubt, matter of some
interest to Mrs. Cleveland to visit Oma-
ha, in financial view, as she is interest
ed in a valuable real estate property in
the city. Through the will of her
grandfather, John B. Folsom, she is the
owner of one undivided eighth of prop
erty worth, at fair estimate, $4,000.
The Folsom estate consists of AZ lots,
purchased about 1856, most of which
are leased for term of years, but as few
of the lots contain valuable buildings,
and most of them are yet unimproved,
the income derived is but about $25, 900
per annum. As the procession drove
past, many of the Jots were pointed out
to her F; but, as her attention was devoted
to the crowds of admirers who thronged
the streets, it is doubtful if she gained
any definite idea of the property.
The school-boy days of President
Cleveland were spent in Fayetteville, a
country village of /, 200 to 1900 inhahit-
ants in Onondaga county, N. Y, where
his father was pastor of the Presbyterian
church. This chr-ch was an ofshoet
from the Presbyterian church at Man
lius, two miles distant, and in it's early
days struggled manfully to build a house
Of worship. When the house had been
completed, a heavy debt was resting up
On it. To relieve pressing necessity,
The edifce was heavily mortgaged, and |
it so happened that tie father of the |
writer carried the mortgage many years, |
Ind for some time it appeared probable
hat he would swim the elephant and
be able to run church on his own ae-
,ount. But liberal enterprise prevail
ID, and by heroic efforts the indebted